New York, July 15, 2009 – Paul McCartney previewed his New York City concerts slated for this weekend with a free performance atop the marquee outside the David Letterman studios in midtown Manhattan. Thousands of fans crowded the streets, and Sir Paul didn’t let them down, performing a 22-minute show that included Beatles classics like Get Back and Back in the U.S.S.R.

McCartney was in high spirits, waving and shouting to passengers riding on a passing tour bus. He quipped, “Hey, it’s Bruno!” when a taxicab passed bearing an for the Sacha Baron Cohen movie.

Earlier in the afternoon, during a sound check before the show, he played Eleanor Rigby. Curtains enclosed the marquee during that pre-show rehearsal, and we caught site of McCartney peeking out to check out the crowd.

McCartney’s Letterman appearance was historic, falling 45 years after the Beatles first appeared on the same stage on the Ed Sullivan show, turning the band into a household name.